Kelly’s Green Tea Strawberry Shortcakes

Have a question on a favourite beauty product you are currently using or thinking of trying out?  Chances are Kelly of Lipgloss Love Affair has either heard of it, tried it out and possibly written a review on it.  Since November of 2010 she has completed over 100 blog posts on beauty and skin care products.  This enterprising young lady has written reviews, hosted amazing giveaways and covered everything from cleansers and exfolliants to how to obtain perfect brows and lashes.  Her Facebook page has a very large and loyal following and her blog followers number over 2500.  Kelly is Asian and some of her content features the latest in Asian beauty and skin care products together with the latest in what is new and in vogue as far a cosmetic surgery for Korean movie stars, celebrities and anyone else who can afford the cost.  She has also hosted give-aways for her readers featuring the latest in Japanese beauty products.  A popular post she completed for her followers was her Christmas Gift Buying Guide of 2010 which featured beauty gift ideas to suit any budget. Suggestions ranged from very affordable $10.00 products to what Kelly referred to as *Balla Status* – The Ultimate Gift priced at $1,000.  Not afraid to delve into a little DIY at times, Kelly has created her own Shower Jellies and shared that recipe with her readers just as she did with her Green Tea Beauty Mist.  From beauty tips and make-up tricks, there is something for everyone at Lipgloss Love Affair and Kelly is obviously working very hard and is very dedicated to bringing the most current beauty products and techniques to her reader’s attention.  I am delighted that she is here today, sharing her story and recipe with us.  You can follow Kelly on Twitter @lipglosskelly

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I still remember the exact moment 4 years ago when I found out my mom had cancer. A few months earlier she had discovered a lump in her breast and got it checked out by a doctor, who recommended further tests.  But I dismissed it as nothing and assumed she would be just fine. All my life I ignorantly joked that “Korean people don’t get cancer.”  Strangely enough, at that point, I had personally never met a single Korean person with cancer. Well I should’ve knocked on wood.  Because my mom didn’t have health insurance here in the States, she decided to travel to Korea, where hospital costs are much cheaper.  Her first e-mail was so positive — the surgery had gone well and the doctor predicted good results — but she still had to wait on some tests.  “Cross your fingers that it’s not cancer,” she said.

I was on vacation in Vegas when I got the second email. “I have bad news.  I have breast cancer.”  I just froze, unable to continue reading the rest, and sat in my room for hours, trying to absorb the information, unsure of whato say or how to react.  I was pretty much in denial.  My parents decided to move to  Korea for about a year so my mom could undergo her tests and treatments. I quit my day job to help manage my parent’s deli while they were out of the country.  I kept myself as busy and distracted as possible, and in a way, blocked the whole situation from my mind.  My friends later told me that they were afraid to bring up the subject because I never really talked about it, and the few times I did, I was so nonchalant.  And then, one day she was “better.” The treatments were successful, and the cancer was gone. She came home, and things went back to normal as if nothing had never happened.  Other than my mom’s biannual trip to Korea for checkups, we really had no reminder that she had cancer.   Next year will be her 5 year mark and final check up — where if all goes well, it’s generally safe to say the cancer will not reoccur.

While it’s always on the back of my mind, it feels so strange to see how easily we’ve moved on.  To this day I can’t help feeling as if I took the whole experience for granted.  I was never there for my mom — I wasn’t there when she was getting chemotherapy, I wasn’t there for her surgeries – I never saw her suffer.  She went through the whole process in Korea while I was here at home, living my life like normal.  Her emails were always positive and upbeat — she never once expressed how scared she was.  And although everything turned out okay, I know it wasn’t an easy journey and she’s so incredibly lucky — as am I that I didn’t lose my mom.

So in doing this post, I want my mom to know that I do think about her experience all the time.  I guess this is my way of talking about it, making it real.  I do know how painful and traumatic it was — how terrified she must have felt inside.  I guess in a way I’m similar to her in that we don’t like to talk about our pain to others.  We always put on a bright front and make it seem like every thing’s okay.  My mom is the strongest person I’ve ever known in my life.  She’s so independent and has trudged right through all that life has thrown at her. I know she got through this because she was so tough, and even though I wasn’t there for her physically, I want her to know I was still there, thinking about her and praying for her the whole time.

So mom — I love you!  I’m so thankful you’re here with me today.  Even though we bicker and argue — I love you dearly and I’m so relieved/grateful/happy that I have a mom to quarrel with!

For my dessert I wanted to pick something Korean inspired.  The green tea strawberry shortcake is one of the most popular desserts at Paris Baguette, a famous Korean bakery.  The Asian twist on traditional shortcake is replacing the biscuit with a soft sponge cake — which I have to say is a lot harder to make than it looks!  It took me multiple attempts to get the egg whites just right!

Ingredients:

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/4 cup honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon matcha (green tea) powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

7 large eggs, separated

1 cup cake flour, sifted

1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

2. Separate eggs and whisk 1 cup sugar, honey, vanilla, matcha powder, andsalt into egg yolks.

3. Place bowl in a large pan of hot water and beat for about 5 minutes on medium-high speed with an electric mixer until mixture turns a pale yellow color.  Gently fold in the sifted powder.

4.  Beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until foamy.  Add the 1 tablespoon of sugar and cream of tarter and continue beating until mixture is stiff.

5.  Gently fold the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture.

6. Pour batter into pan or baking dish of your choice.  Square, round, etc all look great!  I used small round pyrex dishes to make mini cakes.

7.  Bake on the middle rack of the oven for 25-35 minutes or until a light golden brown.  Cool for 20 minutes, then run a knife along the edge of the pan to remove the cake.

Stabilized Whipped Cream

1 packet of gelatin powder or 1 tablespoon of agar agar (seaweed/vegetarian gelatin).

2 cups cold heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Pour the water in a small saucepan and gently sprinkle gelatin or agar agar on the surface of the water.  Let stand for 5 minutes.  Place the saucepan over low heat, stirring until the gelatin dissolves.  Remove saucepan from heat and let it cool to room temperature.

2.  In a mixing bowl combine whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla and beat until mixture thickens.  Gradually pour in the gelatin mixture then whip at high speed until stiff.

3.  Place whipped cream in fridge until ready to use!  (Note: My whipped cream ended up a little soft so be sure to play around with the gelatin to get better stabilization)

Assembling

1. Slice your cake into two or three layers.  Spread a thin layer of whipped cream over each layer.

2.  Slice up some fresh strawberries and assemble them on each layer.

3. Spread another layer of whipped cream over the strawberries.  Repeat for each layer.

4.  Spread a final layer of whipped cream over the top of the cake –frosting the sides is optional.

5.  Place cake in the fridge to chill for 30 minutes then garnish with the leftover strawberries.

6.  Enjoy!